In normal clinical and hospital procedures, test samples and specimens are taken from the patients, and these test samples and specimens are usually placed in test tubes, or similar containers. The test tubes are then labelled and sealed, and sent to the laboratory. At the laboratory, the test tubes must be repeatedly opened and closed as the specimens and samples are removed for each of a variety of tests. This opening and closing of the test tubes is a time-consuming operation, especially in the larger laboratories where thousands of specimens and samples are tested daily. The stopper of the present invention is advantageous in such situations since it can be placed in sealing relationship with a test tube by a simple pushing operation, and can subsequently be removed by a simple pulling operation.
Although the stopper of the invention will be described herein in conjunction with a test tube, it will become apparent as the description proceeds, that the stopper can be used in conjunction with a wide variety of bottles, and other receptacles, in which a removable stopper is required, which can easily be inserted into the mouth of the receptacle in a sealing relationship therewith, and just as easily removed.